CORNYN ANNOUNCES RECORD MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT WITH INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITY

Appleridge Group Home to pay $1 million in civil penalties

AUSTIN - Texas Attorney General John Cornyn today announced a $1 million dollar
settlement with Texas Home Management Inc., doing business as the Appleridge Group
Home, an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded (ICFMR), in Houston. The
settlement was announced today in Harris County open court, moments before a jury was to
be selected in the case. This is the largest settlement ever obtained by the Attorney General's
Elder Law and Public Health Division against a long-term care facility.

"My top priority is to protect those who can't protect themselves, "said Attorney General
Cornyn. "This settlement should serve as a strong warning to care-givers across the State that
you will pay the price for neglecting those in your care."

In May of 1998, the Texas Department of Human Services (TDHS) conducted a complaint
investigation of the facility. The survey noted conditions that led to the death of 38 year-old
Trenia Wright. Wright was diagnosed with moderate mental retardation, cerebral palsy, left
hemiparesis and hyperthyroidism.

The TDHS survey noted that while Wright was eating dinner one evening, she had a seizure
which led to a behavioral episode. An Appleridge employee responded by pouring bleach on
Wright and the floor around where Wright was sitting. As Wright lay yelling that the bleach
was burning her, the staff sat on an adjacent patio, eating dinner and ignoring Wright.

Later that evening, another employee rubbed Vaseline over Wright's body, clothed her in dry
clothing and put her to bed. The bleach solution was never washed off Wright's body.
Another employee told the residential team leader that burns appeared to be forming on
Wright's body, but that she thought Wright could wait another day before seeing a doctor.

Wright was taken to the hospital nearly two days after the incident where she died. It was
determined that Wright had suffered chemical burns to nearly 40 percent of her body.

The TDHS survey also noted that in a two-year period Wright had fallen at the home
over 70 times, yet the staff did nothing to prevent future falls or to develop a behavior
program preventing Wright from harming herself.

The Attorney General's Elder Law and Public Health Division has been working on this case
with the Texas Department of Human Services since 1998.